The mothers of three American hikers held in Iran for nearly a year say they're shocked by a report that their children were in Iraq when they were arrested.
The Americans are being held on suspicion of espionage. Their families have said they were hiking near the Iraq-Iran border and that if they crossed into Iran it was an accident.
The Nation reported Thursday that two witnesses from a Kurdish village near the border say the Americans were in Iraqi territory when they were arrested by Iranian forces. The witnesses wouldn't allow their names to be used because they said they feared for their safety.
Nora Shourd (SHORD), whose daughter Sarah is one of the three held, told CNN the report was "shocking."
A senior State Department official says the department is unable to corroborate The Nation's report.
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